For nearly two years, university students across Serbia have driven mass anti-corruption demonstrations. Following an October 25 vote, they now share a broader objective: defeating the nation’s powerful populist leader, Aleksandar Vucic, in an early parliamentary election as he seeks a return as prime minister to extend his right-wing party’s 14-year rule.
Tensions remain high alongside the stakes. Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party, or SNS, and the student-supported Students’ List are running closely, leaving the outcome uncertain and raising fears of potential violence. Ahead of the vote, supporters of the Students’ List planned a final campaign rally in Belgrade on Thursday expected to draw tens of thousands of people, following months of marching and cycling across the country.
The student movement originated as a struggle for justice following a tragic train station collapse in northern Serbia that killed 16 people in November 2024. Students blamed the deaths on rampant corruption, and their calls for accountability found widespread public support. The protests ultimately forced a government collapse and rattled Vucic’s administration.
Aleksandar Baucal, a psychology professor at Belgrade’s Faculty of Philosophy and an early supporter now running on the Students’ List election ticket, noted that the students’ drive stems from growing up in a deeply unjust society. Vucic’s opponents point to a regime plagued by corruption and organized crime, with the governing party controlling election authorities and the judiciary.
Operating as a leaderless entity, the movement relies on democratic structures and solidarity that contrast sharply with Vucic’s personalized dominance. Vukasin Djinovic, a student from the northern city of Novi Sad, emphasized that the movement seeks to dismantle personality cults and support democracy, tolerance, and respect for all opinions. The organization has no single leader or spokesperson; instead, all major decisions are debated and voted upon in faculty assemblies, known as plenums, across the country.
This anonymous, decentralized structure has proven elusive for Vucic, who has previously outmaneuvered traditional political opponents. In response, authorities have subjected the movement to detentions, accusations of anti-state activities, and surveillance, though supporters argue these pressures have only increased the students’ resilience.
The Students’ List ticket was assembled through proposals and vetting processes across universities nationwide. Candidates for the 250-member parliament include teachers, professors, experts, athletes, farmers, artists, and a small number of familiar faces. Their platform centers on rebuilding democratic institutions, establishing independent media to ensure future free and fair elections, and executing plans for economic and social revival.
Vucic resigned as president last month to campaign aggressively for the prime minister’s office. He has accused his opponents of plotting to steal the election, while international election monitors and the European Union have expressed concern regarding the safety and fairness of the process. Previous elections overseen by the SNS have drawn accusations of irregularities, including voter bribery, pressure, and inflated voter lists, which the party has denied.
Aleksandra Krstic, a faculty member at the University of Belgrade’s Faculty of Political Sciences, noted that the students have demonstrated they can drive political change and restore public hope after 14 years of SNS rule. However, observers and participants alike remain deeply concerned that both sides could claim victory on election night, potentially sparking extreme violence if neither concedes defeat.
